A Law and Order Summer
by DaisyDay
Summary: IT'S FUN IN THE SUN TIME! Authors RubirosaRocks, Selene Garcia, theSilverChef and DaisyDay (me) want to welcome the long and hot summer days! Yes, you can read FOUR STORIES IN ONE here! Come join us -all you need to bring is the suntan lotion!


**A LAW AND ORDER SUMMER**

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DELIRIUM _by theSilverChef_

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(Summary_: An NYC heatwave and covert behavior make for an unusual -and amusing- afternoon in the DA's office_)

Summer in New York City could be unbearable. Skyscrapers and bodegas, transit systems, millions of pedestrians, and humidity made 86 degrees seem like 860 degrees. On that July afternoon, even the Manhattan DA's office could offer no respite from the muggy heat. A clogged condensation line had rendered the building's central AC system completely useless, frying its components with fluid. The estimated repair time was a few days, and until then, everyone inside was forced to make due with fans, open windows, and lots of bottled water.

The steady buzzing of fan blades coursed through the 10th floor, turbo and obnoxious, old and squeaky alike. Mike Cutter's only saving grace was a floor fan parked in front of the side door of his office, blasting at full speed. He and Connie sat in miserable silence as they worked—she, researching case laws, and he, editing one of his summations.

To keep cool, they had both ventured as far from dress code as possible, without reaching indecency. Mike's sleeves were rolled up, his collar undone, and his shirt untucked. Connie had removed her cardigan, revealing a snug sleeveless blouse, and she'd pulled her bangs away from her face with a clip. But, even still, the heat was assaulting and it was impossible to concentrate on the work at hand. Mike seemed to have the hardest time staying focused, and he could have blamed that on his stuffy office, but he knew the real reason was Connie.

She sat across the room from him, atop the round table, with a legal pad and several books sprawled precariously across her lap. Mike hated that even in sweat and fatigue, she looked flawless. He, on the other hand, was sure that he resembled the melting Nazi from Raiders of the Lost Ark. He casually tousled his hair and held up his Blackberry, using it as a shield. If she caught him staring at her, he could simply say that he was checking his email or baseball stats or Facebook… Even though he didn't have a Facebook and openly criticized social media all the time. He winced at his atrociously lame plan, but continued to study her.

He had always had a thing for redheads, but Connie's chestnut hair and exotic features elicited a foreign reaction. She had the body of a goddess, the determination of a warrior, and more compassion than was good for her. It was ridiculous to him how perfect she was. The hard-pressed life of a prosecutor made the opposite sex an afterthought or luxury to him, yet being partnered with Connie had filled that void. It was wrong to think in such a way, and he knew it, but even if he had tried to venture out and attempt to have a social life, it would only pale in comparison to something as simple as sharing coffee with her. He suddenly felt nauseous—a combination of being over-heated, guilt, and the unexpectedly mawkish tone of his thoughts.

Mike frantically sprung from his chair, and it sailed backwards, colliding with the credenza under the window. A speaker dock-station and several accordion folders keeled over. Startled, Connie looked up from her notes, staring quizzically at Mike. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he announced, "I… need some fresh air. I'm not-… I can't think clearly. I'll be back."

"Okay…" Connie arched her brow at the odd behavior and returned to her work. Upon further thought, she called out, "Wait!"

"Yes-…?" Mike turned in the doorway, wearing a pained expression.

Connie hesitated, seriously perplexed, and then made her request. "Can you get me an iced tea?"

Mike seemed to relax, and nervously wringing the door handle, he replied, "Sure. Anything."

Connie offered a grateful smile that progressed into a self-amused grin when the door closed. She had heard of heat stroke, but Mike's sudden outburst was something entirely in its own category. Yes, it was hot. True, a broken air conditioner should be illegal. But, Connie had always been able to look on the bright side of any situation. She glanced at her Blackberry, rereading the text conversation she'd been stealthily conducting with a friend.

Connie: _Is it wrong that I'm secretly admiring him again?_

Liz: _Yes. Stop it._

Connie: _His shirt is halfway undone. Can't I imagine the rest?_

Liz: _Just don't drool on your paperwork._

Connie:_ I can't. It's 110 degrees in here. Too dehydrated._

Liz: _I'm rolling my eyes. You can't see it, but I am._

Connie set her phone aside and forced herself to get back to work. She gazed out the window while she racked her brain for applicable case references. The disheveled folders on the ledge across the room caught her attention, and she smiled, thinking of Mike's "office foul" from only a few moments before. Her defiant mind wandered back to the one…two…three undone buttons on his blue dress shirt. The white undershirt he had on beneath was the only thing between her eyes and his defined collarbone and [presumably] toned chest. Connie didn't think it was possible, but the room suddenly seemed 20 degrees warmer. She sighed. It was going to be one hot summer.

_._

_The End_

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SOME THINGS SHOULD LAST FOREVER _by Selene Garcia_

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(Summary: _Mike __has some __trouble adjusting __to summer,__and __Connie __decides to help __him with __that_)

It was an extremely hot day, Mike barely could wear his suit, and he couldn't wait 'till he get home and take a shower. He spent the whole day thinking about going home.

Leaving his office, Mike could see Connie walking towards the elevator; she doesn't look like someone who had been affected by the temperature, she looks just beautiful as when she arrives that morning, completely unlike him. His heir was messy; his tie was in his briefcase, his jacket in hands, and his shirt had the sleeves rolled and three buttons undone. "Gosh, you look alike crap" Connie said smiling at Mike when they met at the elevator.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you're not being affected by this heat" He stared her while he called the elevator

"You just need to adapt, my dear Mike" She said walking into the elevator

"I'm a person who like cold places, I don't 'adapt' the heat"

"You never had the chance to fit. I'm going to the park and you're coming with me"

"And why I'd do it?"

"Because you love me and you can't take your eyes way from me, so you'd love spend this end of afternoon with me" Connie laughed as she walked the ground floor.

Mike just stood there, frozen is the right word. How she knows about his feelings? Was it so evident? "Michael" She yelled pushing out of his thoughts "You need to stop daydreaming if you want to come with me"

"Ok. Do you want me to call a cab?"

"Cab?" She scoffed pulling him by the arm "Please Michael, you'll never adapt if you keep acting like this"

"So, we go walking?" He arched an eyebrow

"What's the problem?" They crossed to the outside, and warm air in New York was blown in their faces, Connie smiled like if she was greeting the sun setting, and Mike grimaced wishing to go home.

But why he doesn't? What is impeding him? Oh, yes. Connie, her radiating joy and beauty prevent him from leave.

He doesn't know exactly when they stopped, he just stood there looking at her while she bought ice cream, the way she makes something so simple look so wonderful. "Mike, the money" She said giving him an ice cream

"What? Why?"

"Because if you're here it means I don't have to pay. Where is your gentlemanly?"

"You're right"

He loves her logic, her sense of humor, her voice… Everything about her was perfect, Connie Rubirosa is perfect, and Mike couldn't avoid loving everything about that beautiful woman.

Definitely he couldn't see the logic in walk in the park, it was hot and he wanted to go home, take a shower and have a beer, it was refreshing, ice cream and walk in the park with Connie just makes him daydreaming. "You're looking distant today" She said stopping in front of him

"What?" She laughed at Mike's expression and the fact that he has ice cream in the corner of his mouth.

Connie reached out to wipe the corner of Mike's mouth with her thumb; he felt a slight wave down his spine, the light touch of her hand made him blink several times "You had ice cream in the corner of your mouth" She said keeping her hand in his face.

"Oh… thank you then" he smiled and closed his eyes to keep him from screaming when the small contact between their bodies ends.

They stood there for a while, just watching each other. Connie looked at the blue of his eyes, his hair shone like the sun in the late afternoon, the perfection of his pink lips and how much she wanted to kiss him. At the same time, Mike admired her body framed by a gilt frame coming from the sun setting behind the trees, the contrast of her tanned skin, her dark brown and bright eyes looked like two ponds of melted chocolate, the way she took the ice cream to her mouth, the beautiful smile on her lips ... Her lips, he would give anything to kiss her. "It's getting late" She said pushing both from their thoughts, how long they stood there?

"I think I should guide you home" He smiled, perhaps a bit constrained for saying that out loud.

"Thanks, Mike" She grabbed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder sipping her ice cream.

They walked in silence for a while; sometimes he diverted his gaze to her, admiring her beauty "What flavor is your ice cream?" He asked a little curious

"Mint chocolate" Connie smiled angst Mike's shoulder

"Oh, and why my is just pistachio?"

"Because you look like someone who loves pistachio"

"Or because you knew I would want your ice cream and you wanted to share it with me"

Mike said leaning over to snatch Connie's ice cream  
"Michael" She screamed giving some slapping Mike  
"Hey, it hurts. Just stop or I'll fire you"  
"Jack would never let"  
"After a few good shots of whiskey ..." He shrugged and saw Connie receding "But I would never do that, you know why?" He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, "Because I love you ... Your presence, I love your presence" Mike kissed her cheek  
She felt her cheeks burn and wished it was because of the heat of the day "I also appreciate your presence Michael"  
He smiled, Mike should admit that I liked more than just Connie's company, but his professionalism would not let him, but he always said something in-between, something he hoped she understood that was how he felt about her.

They walked a little more, the sun had already set and a full moon surrounded by stars shone in the summer sky, at some point Mike offered to carry the bag of Connie and she snuggled further into it, wrapping both arms around his body, and the arm of Mike I was wrapped shoulder, preventing it from straying and protecting her from any danger, and his head was resting on his shoulder, so clear that it was more difficult for them to walk, but neither one of them wanted to let the other go, even though the street the building of Connie. "The sky is more beautiful in the summer. Filled with stars" He said knowing it was time to let her go  
"The vast majority are airplanes"  
"Well, it must cancel the request I made for a shooting star"  
"may have been a shooting star really. never know" She stopped and looked at the stairs of the building entered its "Well, here we are" She looked up at him  
"I had fun" He grinned his dimpled smile, the smile that makes her melt like a teenager in love  
"You still hate the summer?"  
"If I say yes, we'll do this again tomorrow?" Mike said hiding his face on top of the head of Connie, her cheeks burning with shame  
"Why not? Can we do this every day, but only if you promise me home"

"That's okay. Like I said, I love to be with you"

"Goodnight Mike" She grabbed her bag and walked toward the stairs "Oh crap" Connie turned and went to Mike.  
She pulled him by the shirt with both hands and kissed him, he kissed her back, she felt like an idiot, but when she started to walk away, Mike put his hand on the small of her back and pulled her close to him and kissed her with more passion.  
It was exactly as her had dreamed, his kiss was as perfect as her lips. Her lips tasted like ... Heaven on earth. "You do not know how I waited for this," he said as his lips broke up so they could breathe.  
"When you do not kiss me back, I thought I had seen you in the wrong way," she admitted with a shy smile  
"I was thinking about it," he said stroking her face with both hands  
"And what was your conclusion?"  
"That maybe I should stop thinking so much" He smiled and looked into her eyes, it was like he could see her soul, and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. "Well ... I guess I should go now," Mike continued smiling. He would never stop smiling, not after that kiss.  
"Good night ... I think"

"Good night" He kissed the top of her hand, and let her to go to the door. He does not know how he let her go, or why he let her go.  
But as he watched her walk to the door and he waved to a taxi stop, one thing was sure, he would wish to all the shooting stars, or airplanes ... It doesn't matter, he would wish to sky for these moments to be timeless.

_The End_

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THE SUMMER THAT COST THEM NEARLY AN ARM AND A LEG_ by RubirosaRocks_

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(Summary_: Mike needs mouth to mouth from Connie after they are in a jet skii accident leaving Lupo to have no leg to stand on. Meanwhile, Bernard has his arms full as he's assigned to dog sitting duty. But is there a possibility that Puppy love could blossom? Based partially on a true story.)_

The seagulls squawked fiercely overhead as Mike drove down the sunset strip facing the beach. All of a sudden someone in the side lane cut him off while overtaking.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? What, you got a beach towel wrapped around your eyes of somethin?" Mike suddenly shouted waving his hands at the driver. The driver put up her hands in an apologising manner.

"Wow. Mike! Relax, it was an honest mistake," Connie said while she was grasping the seat tightly.

"I hate long car rides," Mike muttered trying to remain calm. Detectives Lupo and Bernard and Lupo's dog, Otto were in the back but kept quiet. After a few minutes of searching for a park, Mike pulled into a nice spot. They made sure they got to the beach early because they booked some Jet Skiis for the day.

"I don't remember the last time you were outside of the office, Mike," said Connie raising her eyebrows in cheekiness when shutting the door and swinging her towel over her shoulder.

"Well, I don't know how you did it Connie, but you convinced me to come out into this sweltering heat" Mike replied maneuvering the reflective sun visor behind the steering wheel and over the dashboard.

"Pfft! Didn't know how she did it," Bernard quietly mocked as he slid his sandals on.

Lupo snickered as he grabbed Otto and put on the leash. Connie was now in the boot grabbing out the plastic foldout chairs. "Be careful with one of these, guys, one has a dodgy arm," she said as she inspected one of the chairs.

The five of them made their way down the embankment to find a decent spot on the beach.

Bernard wasn't keen to go swimming even after being hassled by Lupo to just go in waste deep. They all decided on a family beach so Otto would be allowed to come along for the day too. It was Bernard's duty to keep an eye on the Jet skiiers and dog. A few chairs were placed in a open spot while a beach umbrella was speared into the sand. Connie glanced at the ocean before heading out to the sea. She shaded her eyes as she scanned the horizon. It was a thick long sapphire shade of blue in the far distance and the closer it got to the shore the lighter it became. The sand gave it a strange dark green middle section before the teal whitewash that came crawling over Connie's toes. It sent a shiver up her spine, a very refreshing one.

"Now, have I got the pink wetsuit or do you want it, Connie?" Mike's voice came from over her shoulder.

"Pink isn't a bad look on you, ya know?" She quipped back. He smiled and handed her a wetsuit. Mike and Connie's suits were ¾ length, perfect for the summer heat.

Lupo was already wearing his winter wetsuit under his clothes; his one was a full-length suit covering his arms and right down to his ankles. There was a special reason for that.

"Ready to go guys?" Connie asked

"Yep" Lupo replied

"As I'll ever be" Mike added

"Thanks again, B" Lupo said waving to Bernard and Otto.

"It's no sweat" the chipper man said while putting on his sunscreen as the Jet skiiers set off.

...

30 minutes later Bernard was busy reading his book, while Otto was happily digging in front of him. He had read the same sentence now 5 times. Otto was becoming louder.

"dsdfffshh..hey! hey! Stop that! Enough!" He said in his authoritarian voice. Otto looked up at him and tilted his head.

"Oh no. Don't you start pulling that one on me; it may work on your dad, but not me. You're not that c-"

"Cute!" said a bikini-clad beauty walking by.

"Why yes, isn't he just the _cutest" _Bernard quickly responded noticing how beautiful she was.

"What's the name?" she asked stopping to pet the dog.

"It's Bernard"

"Oh really? He doesn't look anything like a St. Bernar-"

"Otto! I mean... it's Otto. You see Bernard is my name. I though you meant..."

She laughed, "Well if it's any consolation, you don't look anything like a St. Bernard, either" they both shared a smile.

"Say, would you like to get an ice-cream perhaps?" suggested a smooth Bernard.

"Actually, I'd rather we just skip all that," she sexily said as she leant in towards him. They were inches away from a lip-lock and he was seconds away from proposing when all of a sudden he felt sand starting to fly at him.

Bernard snorted as he woke up from his wonderful dream. His book was in fact on top of his face, dribble was running down the side of his chin and Otto was digging up sand in his direction.

"Now why did you have to go and do that, boy!?" He complained drowsily.

"What do you say we race to that buoy out there?" Asked Lupo staring into the distance.

"I'm in you're in," said Connie as she prepared to race.

"Very well then," Mike joined in.

...

"Ready?" Mike began

"Set!" added Lupo

"Go!" screamed Connie

The three jet skiers sped away at great speed; it was an even tie at the beginning. They all had a tremendous start and had gotten quite confident on the jet skiis.

Lupo watched Mike as he suddenly appeared beside him. Connie was a bit behind the boys.

Before they knew it they were over have way to the buoy. The water started to become a bit choppier as they approached some nearby boats. Lupo started gaining a lead but also developed some speed wobbles.

"Careful, Lupes," came Mike's voice behind him but wasn't watching Connie come up close behind him. "No, you be careful, Mike" She shouted over the engine and sound of water spray, she was now overtaking he boss. They all started to jump around a bit when they got close to the boats; the choppy water was becoming harder to glide over. Suddenly Lupo went over a wave that took him came from the wrong direction, he had bounced onto a small-unmanned boat by mistake.

The Next thing they knew, a leg went flying in the air in the opposite direction to Lupo. Lupo landed in the churned up water with a KA-PLONK and was under for a few seconds. Mike slowed down when he got close and had a look. Finally a head popped out of the water. Lupo began hysterically laughing. "Hey, do you know where my-"

"I've got it!," Connie yelled causing Mike turn his head. He suddenly went pale once he saw what she was holding. It was Lupo's leg!

"How is-" Mike then turned back and forth between Connie and Lupo, "...Is that really his-" The attorney's grip of the jet skii suddenly slipped and his body went limp. He rolled off into the water with his face downwards.

"Mike!?" questioned Connie and Lupo in Unison.

...

Bernard now kept his eyes on Otto as the curious dog dropped the ball at his feet. Bernard stood up from his chair and threw the ball as far as he could to see how quick Otto could run. Otto didn't make it to the ball though. The most beautiful dog Otto had ever seen beat him to it...

...

The nearest boat quickly pulled up beside them. Connie and Lupo pushed up the grey-coloured man onto the deck. They then gave him CPR. Lupes was on the compressions while Connie was on the breaths. Her lips covered her boss' while she grasped his chin and nose delicately with her fingers. Mike's chest quickly rose after every exhale Connie made. In between breaths, Lupo carefully pushed his palms on his mid torso. The water drops glistened on Mike's light chest hair and slid down his abs similar to a window on a rainy day but unfortunately the water inside him wasn't going anywhere...

...

"Oww!" the man shouted as he sat down in the broken beach chair. This was certainly not Bernard's day. The arm of it just about broke off.

The two dogs chased each other and seemed extremely happy together. The female dog then picked up the ball and dropped it at her owner's feet. Bernard watched as Otto went up to the owner. She was even prettier than the woman in B's dream. Her smile added to the summer glow of the atmosphere. Bernard couldn't believe his eyes. She started wandering over to him, but he was freaking out because he was still stuck in the broken chair.

"Hi, is this your dog?" she asked him encouraging Otto with the ball.

"Yes. Well he's not actually my dog, he's my partners',"

"Oh ok. I'm Diana. This is Molly, my neighbour's dog and this is her brother, Lupo." Diana said trying to get Molly to run and untangle her. Little Lupo just sat still.

"Nice to meet you Diana, Molly, Lupo this is Otto" Bernard laughed as he greeted them. "I can't believe his name is Lupo."

"Oh yeah, why's that?" she asked.

"That's my Partner's name,"

"Fancy that! And what's your partner's partner name then?" she smirked.

He was confused for a moment until it twigged. "I'm Kevin" he said as he was about to shake her hand.

"Sorry my arms are a bit tied" she laughed. Suddenly one dog chased Otto and it pulled Diana forward but Bernard was quick to grab her arm and stop her from falling.

"Nearly cost me an arm there," she blushed as Bernard smiled. He was so glad it wasn't another dream.

...

Mike's bright blue eyes blinked open after he saw a few people crowded around him. Connie and Lupo leaning over him.

"He's awake," Connie sighed as she sat back victorious.

Mike muttered something but no one could understand it.

"Has someone got any water?" asked Lupo

Someone leaned in and handed a bottle over to Mike. He slowly sat up to drink it, but he was shaking a bit.

"Here" someone added as they wrapped a towel around him, "And don't worry, it wasn't wrapped around my eyes" He shot the same woman he saw earlier a guilty look. He had much more colour in him after regurgitating the water that crept into his lungs moments earlier.

"You are such a lucky man, Michael Cutter," said a relieved Lupo as he stood to his feet.

"I sure am" Mike agreed, slowly wandering his eyes to Connie's lips, "You ok, Connie?"

"Yeah... Just. I need to get my breath back." She said.

"Sorry to give you a scare before. I thought you knew about my prosthetic leg." Said Lupo.

"I- I had no idea. Have you always had a-"

"No. It was during my time at the NYPD Intelligence Division... but I'll save that story for when you're feeling better, my friend".

"Sounds good to me" Mike agreed.

The boat was just about at shore where the paramedics were waiting.

...

"I'm going to go tell Bernard," mentioned a shaken up Connie to Lupo.

"Are..you sure you don't want to be the one to ride with Mike to the hospital?" Lupo asked, "I-I mean we both need to go anyway, so we can be treated for shock" he tried to hide the obvious innuendo of the ADA's talking to each other alone.

"That's ok, I'll catch a lift with B. to the hospital. Besides, I could really use the walk." She said with a smile.

"ok, take care."

"Bye Lupes. You too," she said as she went one way while Lupo went the other.

...

The E. checked Lupo out but after he looked more out of breath than when he was first tended to. He was just given an estimate of how much repairs would cost to fix the jet Skii. Lupo carefully walked to the back of the ambulance where he saw Mike with an oxygen mask on. Cutter was happily debating with the paramedic who mentioned he was going to law school. Lupo hopped in with him and looked Mike directly in the eyes. , "So.. guess you're glad it wasn't me who gave you the breath of life, hey?" He held a straight face for as long as he could.

Mike tried his best poker face too, but had no luck either. He smirked under his oxygen mask. And as soon as Lupo broke into laughter so did Mike.

That Summer was the one to remembered as the one that almost cost them an arm and a leg.

_The End_

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THEY DIDN'T NOTICE _by DaisyDay_

_(__Summary__: Mike and Connie are totally in sync with one another as they work on a case together)_

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It was a beautiful summer day in New York City.

At the beaches, the white capped waves crashed to the shoreline as the sun sparkled down on their golden sands.

And against this picture perfect setting, the mangled female body had washed up on one of its more secluded beaches, bloated and covered with blood and seaweed. The decomposing body revealed a large elliptical bite mark on the lower part of her torso.

And that made it the talk of the DA's office.

"Mike," Connie asked him, sitting at his desk while reading the police file, "Did you hear that the unusual teeth marks found on the victim were allegedly made by an alligator? How is that possible when alligators are not indigenous to New York City waterways? "

"Hmmm... " Mike pondered, as he bounced back on his chair, "Maybe we shouldn't draw any conclusions until we've consulted with the detectives. After all," he skillfully paused, "they're the official investi**-_gators._"**

Connie rolled her eyes, but she followed it up with a smile. Somehow their interactions helped to lighten grim circumstances.

_But they chose not to notice that._

Much later, Mike and Connie were walking down the cold, sterile hallway of the coroner's office. They needed confirmation by the coroner that the alligator marks were authentic since alligators normally were found in swamps of the South. As they continued down the hallway in tandem, their bodies were often so close together as to leave no gap between them.

At one point, when Mike turned to tell her something, their bodies slightly collided and instantly their breaths caught.

_But they chose not to notice that._

Dr. Rodgers explained that she found no water in the victim's lungs; therefore the victim was already dead before she hit the water.

"Then she wasn't killed by an alligator," Mike concluded.

"No, an alligator wasn't the culprit" verified the ME, "_however_ the bite marks are very real. It's pure alligator, all right."

"Do you have a theory on how the victim was murdered then?" Connie asked.

"I won't be able to tell you until I do a thorough examination of the body," Rodgers promised.

"So it _was _murder," Mike inferred, "although the alligator was not the perpetrator..."

"...but staged to look like way by a human killer," finished Connie.

They often intuitively completed one another's sentences.

_But they chose not to notice that._

"If you ask me," Rodgers stated with certainty, " you find the person who owns a set of alligator teeth and you'll find the killer."

While Mike continued asking questions of Rodgers, his Blackberry buzzed. He reached out and handed the phone to Connie's waiting hand, like a track team member passing off a baton. For a second, they felt a spark as their hands touched.

_But they chose not to notice that._

"That was Lupo," Connie announced afterwards, "Looks like there's a break in the case."

At the 2-7, they watched from a two way mirror while Lupo and Bernard interrogated the curator of a museum.

"Seems your museum is the only one in the state that's missing a set of alligator teeth," Lupo insinuated as he leaned over the suspect.

" I know nothing about that," the curator stated nervously.

"Come clean, Mason," Bernard insisted, "There aren't oodles of alligator teeth floating around and _you _don't have an alibi for the time of the murder!"

"Murder? Me? I'm telling you, _I did not kill her_!" the suspect broke out in a sweat, "I didn't even _know _her!"

"Then give us a reason to suspect someone else!" Lupo insisted, getting right up to his face.

At last the curator admitted two months ago selling a set of alligator teeth to a Drake Hollins. Through the two-way window, Bernard gave a knowing glance at Mike and Connie. They knew what they needed to do next.

Exiting the 2-7, Mike protectively placed his hand lightly on Connie's back to guide her out the door as they continued talking. It was familiar gesture, one that was intimate, yet natural.

_But they chose not to notice that._

And when they got back to the DA's office, Connie began furiously typing on her computer, trying to extract Hollin's records as Mike sat closely across from her. His blue eyes watched intently and somewhat possessively as she typed, admiring her talents, her beauty. Then as Mike read the computer screen, Connie stared at his handsome profile, appreciating his intelligence and grit.

_But they chose not to notice that._

Finally it was discovered that the buyer, Drake Hollins, was not only a fireman, but coincidentally, the victim's ex-boyfriend. They obtained a search warrant and upon a search of his premises, the detectives had discovered a _jaws of life_ firemen's tool on his desk with a bottle of heavy-duty epoxy located nearby.

Later Mike and Connie discussed the discoveries at the DA's office. It was late at night as they shared a simple dinner at his desk, complete with white Chinese takeout cartons.

"So Hollins stole the _jaws of life_ tool from the firehouse." " Mike therorized.

"Yes," agreed Connie, " then he must have glued the set of alligator's teeth onto it with the epoxy. After he kills Patty Wilson, he uses the makeshift tool to create the bite marks on her body, hoping to throw everyone off."

Out the office window, lights blazed from every building, brightening the darkened sky as they sat contently across from one another. They had started out discussing the case, but they ended the night talking of their hopes, their dreams.

_However, they chose not to notice that._

An arrest was made the next day and together they arrived at Rikers to interrogate the suspect.

"I'm not giving Hollins a deal," Mike determined as they stood in the check- in area of Rikers.

He had taken the _Visitor's Pass_ badge and proceeded to pin it on the lapel of Connie's jacket,; something he had done on numerous occasions.

"I wouldn't expect less; it was premeditated murder," Connie agreed, now taking her turn with _his _badge. She intuitively adjusted the one she had just pinned on Mike. The gesture was as natural as breathing for the two of them.

_But they chose not to notice that._

On the day of the trial, they were inside the elevator of the DA's office, about to leave for the courthouse. Mike pushed the button and they heard the swoosh sound of the door being shut and felt the downward motion of the elevator.

Connie gave him an encouraging smile. Then while still in the elevator, she noticed his tie was slightly askewed. She helpfully reached up to adjust it.

He intuitively knew what she was going to do, as he lifted his head slightly. After it was straightened, Connie's hand patted his chest area to secure the badge. They were like a couple, familiar with all the ins and out of one another. Every touch was another expressive way to communicate.

But this time it was different.

_This time they noticed._

The feel of his chest felt wonderful. Connie let out an unsteady breath, as her hand lingered on his upper torso. His body turned hot, while her hand burned every place she touched him. Their faces were glowing with a bewildering mix of agitation and awareness.

"Mike, I don't know why I just did that..." she almost whispered it to herself, yet she didn't stop. Her hand now reached higher to his collar now. It felt so good to explore him.

Mike's eyes flew to her face, watching her reaction carefully.

He swallowed hard, "I don't mind at all, Connie."

Then he reached out and held her hand that had so lovingly touched him, sending shivers down her spine. His masculine hand caressed her soft one. There was a warmth in his eyes now, and it was reflected in hers. The confined elevator was charged with an intense electricity as their eyes traveled down at their enjoined hands and then back up to their faces.

"Mike, what is happening?" she wondered, sounding almost breathless.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Mike stated softly, "And It's been a long time coming. Speaking for myself, I've always had feelings for you, Connie."

She softly gasped, and yet deep inside, she had always known he felt that way.

"I've yearned for you, too, Mike," she responded shakily.

Mike went very still at her admission, his breathing deepening.

DING!

The doors of the elevator slid opened and they smiled shyly at one another as they exited.

_For now they finally knew._

That falling in love was like leaping off a tall building. Although their minds had repeatedly told them that it was not a good idea, their hearts had eventually convinced them that it's possible, and now they could fly...

_The End_

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_We had so much fun writing our stories! _

_Kindly review! _:D


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